by Thomas A. Droleskey
Below pasted are a few photographs from our visit earlier today to the Mother Cabrini Shrine at 701 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, New York. We were very blessed to have been able to visit on her feast day today. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was very good to us. She found us a parking spot right in front of her Shrine, something that was most unexpected on a busy upper Manhattan street.
This sarcophagus of Mother Cabrini is moulded over the actual remains of her mortal body below the neck. The saint's actual head is on display in Rome, Italy. We were told by a volunteer tour guide that Mother Cabrini's mortal remains are not incorrupt. However, there is still skill over some of her bones, which themselves are strong and show no sign of decay.
A depiction of Pope Leo XIII sending Mother Cabrini of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the United States of America rather than to China as she had longed to go since her childhood.
Mother Cabrini was to go to the west, not to the east.
The flight of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini to Heaven. She died ninety years ago this very day, that is, on December 22, 1917.
A Crucifix behind the altar where the mortal remains of Mother Cabrini rests in the crystal reliquary shown in the first photograph above.
A statue of our dear Saint Joseph and his foster Son, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
A depiction of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in a stained glass window at the rear of her Shrine in Manhattan.
Mother Cabrini's shoes and shoehorn, situated at the base of her sleeping gowns.
A photograph of our saint.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini's eyeglasses and their wooden case.
Relics of various saint, including Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and Pope Saint Pius X.
Mother Cabrini's cane and magnifying glass.
Rosaries and their matching "heart" cases, one for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the other for the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
A gift from one saint to another. Pope Saint Pius X's biretta and paten, given to Mother Cabrini.
Mother Cabrini's hairbrushes (and other items).
An instrument of penance worn by Mother Cabrini. I'm not quite there yet, thank you. What a love of God and a desire to do penance for sinners was possessed by Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini!
Lucy venerating a relic of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. The volunteer at the Mother Cabrini Shrine asked Lucy, outside of my own earshot (and that of Sharon's as well), what she wanted for Christmas. Lucy replied: "The grace to be a saint." We were told this by a friend who heard it and by the volunteer herself. Tears come to my eyes even thinking about this. Our dear daughter has much to improve in her comportment at times. So do we all, of course, if we are honest with ourselves. At least she recognizes at her young age what she must do in life: to become a saint. She is a good little girl for whom we are so very grateful.
A statue of the Infant of Prague at the Mother Cabrini Shrine.
A most beautiful statue of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.
A close-up of the statue of this courageous, indefatigable missionary of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
A statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the Mother Cabrini Shrine. The Miracle of the Sun took place two months, four days before Mother Cabrini's death.
A statue of the Hammer of Heretics, Saint Anthony of Padua.
A statue of Our Lord and His Most Sacred Heart.
A photograph Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini as a child with her pet dog.
Two photographs of the great saint who strove to fortify Italian immigrants in their Faith in the midst of a culture of pluralism and religious indifferentism.
A close-up of one of the photographs in the previous picture.
Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, pray for us!
All to thee, Blessed Mother. All to thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we love you. Save souls!
Vivat Christus Rex!
Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.
Saint Luke the Evangelist, pray for us.
Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Gabriel the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Raphael the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Andrew the Apostle, pray for us.
Saint Bibiana, pray for us.
Saint Peter Chrysologus, pray for us.
Saint Barbara, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, pray for us.
Saint Ambrose, pray for us.
Saint John of the Cross, pray for us.
Saint Chysogonus, pray for us.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, pray for us.
Saint Sylvester the Abbot, pray for us.
Saint Cecilia, pray for us.
Pope Saint Clement I, pray for us.
Saint Felicitas, pray for us.
Saint Felix of Valois, pray for us.
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us.
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, pray for us.
Saint Gertrude the Great, pray for us.
Saint Josaphat, pray for us.
Saint Albert the Great, pray for us.
Saint Didacus, pray for us.
Pope Saint Martin I, pray for us.
Saint Martin of Tours, pray for us.
Saint Charles Borromeo, pray for us.
Saints Vitalis and Agricola, pray for us.
Saint Hilarion, pray for us.
Saint John Cantius, pray for us.
Saint Peter of Alcantara, pray for us.
Saint Hedwig, pray for us.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us.
Saint Francis Borgia, pray for us.
Saint Edward the Confessor, pray for us.
Saint John Leonard, pray for us.
Saint Dionysisus (Denis), Rusticus and Eleutherius, pray for us.
Saint Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.
Saint Therese Lisieux, pray for us.
Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Saint Placidus and Companions, pray for us.
Saint Bruno, pray for us.
Saint Wenceslaus, pray for us.
Saint Jerome, pray for us.
Saint Remigius, pray for us.
Saint Clotilde, pray for us.
Saints Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.
Pope Saint Linus, pray for us.
Saint Peter Nolasco, pray for us.
Saint Raymond Pennafort, pray for us.
Saint Raymond Nonnatus, pray for us.
Saint Thecla, pray for us.
Saint Matthew, pray for us.
Saint Eustachius and Family, pray for us.
Saint Leonard of Port Maurice, pray for us.
Saint Joseph Cupertino, pray for us.
Saint Januarius, pray for us.
Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, pray for us.
Pope Saint Pius X, pray for us.
Saint Giles, pray for us.
Saint Stephen of Hungary, pray for us.
Saint Rose of Lima, pray for us.
Saint Nicomedes, pray for us.
Saint Joseph Calasanctius, pray for us.
Pope Saint Zephyrinus, pray for us.
Saint Louis IX, King of France, pray for us.
Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for us.
Saint Bartholomew, pray for us.
Saint Philip Benizi, pray for us.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us.
Saint John Eudes, pray for us.
Saint Hyacinth, pray for us, pray for us.
Saint Agapitus, pray for us.
Saint Helena, pray for us.
Saints Joachim and Anne, pray for us.
Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us.
Saint Athanasius, pray for us.
Saint Irenaeus, pray for us.
Saints Monica, pray for us.
Saint Jude, pray for us.
Saint John the Beloved, pray for us.
Saint Francis Solano, pray for us.
Saint John Bosco, pray for us.
Saint Dominic Savio, pray for us.
Saint Scholastica, pray for us.
Saint Benedict, pray for us.
Saint Joan of Arc, pray for us.
Saint Antony of the Desert, pray for us.
Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
Saint Bonaventure, pray for us.
Saint Augustine, pray for us.
Saint Francis Xavier, pray for us.
Saint Peter Damian, pray for us.
Saint Turibius, pray for us.
Saint Francis Solano, pray for us.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us.
Saint Lucy, pray for us.
Saint Monica, pray for us.
Saint Agatha, pray for us.
Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us.
Saint Basil the Great, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, pray for us.
Saint Cecilia, pray for us.
Saint John Mary Vianney, pray for us.
Saint Vincent de Paul, pray for us.
Saint Vincent Ferrer, pray for us.
Saint Athanasius, pray for us.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us.
Saint Isaac Jogues, pray for us.
Saint Rene Goupil, pray for us.
Saint John Lalonde, pray for us.
Saint Gabriel Lalemont, pray for us.
Saint Noel Chabanel, pray for us.
Saint Charles Garnier, pray for us.
Saint Anthony Daniel, pray for us.
Saint John DeBrebeuf, pray for us.
Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, pray for us.
Saint Therese Lisieux, pray for us.
Saint Lucy, pray for us.
Saint Dominic, pray for us.
Saint Hyacinth, pray for us.
Saint Basil, pray for us.
Saint Benedict, pray for us.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us.
Saint Vincent Ferrer, pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, pray for us.
Saint Tarcisius, pray for us.
Saint Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.
Saint Gerard Majella, pray for us.
Saint John of the Cross, pray for us.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette Soubirous, pray for us.
Saint Genevieve, pray for us.
Saint Vincent de Paul, pray for us.
Pope Saint Pius V, pray for us.
Saint Rita of Cascia, pray for us.
Saint Louis de Montfort, pray for us.
Blessed Humbeline, pray for us.
Blessed Edmund Campion, pray for us.
Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich, pray for us.
Venerable Pauline Jaricot, pray for us.
Father Miguel Augustin Pro, pray for us.
Francisco Marto, pray for us.
Jacinta Marto, pray for us.
Juan Diego, pray for us.
Father Maximilian Kolbe,M.I., pray for us.
Father Frederick Faber, pray for us.
The Longer Version of the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII, 1888
O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
Verse: Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
Response: The Lion of the Tribe of Juda has conquered the root of David.
Verse: Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
Response: As we have hoped in Thee.
Verse: O Lord hear my prayer.
Response: And let my cry come unto Thee.
Verse: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls.
Response: Amen.
